Philadelphia director of player personnel Tom Gamble is the top candidate to replace former Miami General Manager Jeff Ireland, a source said Tuesday night. Gamble quickly emerged as the man owner Stephen Ross wants to get to run the organization after the team’s latest shakeup.

Gamble, who returned to the Eagles this offseason to run personnel under coach Chip Kelly and President Howie Roseman, could be had because he does not have control over personnel with the Eagles. However, Gamble has a long connection with the Eagles, having started his career in NFL scouting and personnel with the team in 1988. Gamble’s father Harry was the Eagles team president at one point.

The team is also expected to interview Green Bay senior personnel executive Alonzo High-smith for the post. The team also has interest in Green Bay director of pro personnel Eliot Wolf, who is the son of former long-time NFL personnel man Ron Wolf. Aside from Highsmith and Wolf, the team has shown interest in Omar Khan of Pittsburgh and former Kansas City and New England personnel man Scott Pioli.

Does someone as smart as Gamble really want to work under Aponte and Philbin?

If he does, he isn't that smart.

I think it is fair to say that the new GM would report to Aponte.

Jason La Canfora wrote:

Several league sources say Ross, who relies heavily on business-side execs Dawn Aponte and Matt Higgins, is contemplating a restructuring where a new general manager would report to Aponte, and not the owner, and thus she would truly head football operations. Furthermore, sources said Aponte would strongly consider candidates she worked with previously with the Jets, like former GMs Mike Tannenbaum and Scott Pioli, who, frankly, would not end up on many other lists right now given how their previous regimes ended.

If that is the case, then many of the well qualified candidates from other organizations would not participate in the process, sources said, with them having great trepidation about that structure and their ability to do their job. How transparent this search is, and how much power the GM titles truly wields, will go a long way to determining if Ross has learned from his other many public missteps (trying to hire a coach before he'd fired his existing one, for instance), or whether the Dolphins are in for more of the same.

That is all that seems to be talked about is Aponte being given control over the GM they hire & not give the GM full autonomy, which folks around the league have stated that may be a challenge to reel in a top choice. However, I read somewhere that Pioli and Aponte know each other very well for whatever that is worth.

Who knows how this play out, but why does everything have to be a "Goat Rodeo" for the Miami Dolphins??

The team is also expected to interview Green Bay senior personnel executive Alonzo High-smith for the post. The team also has interest in Green Bay director of pro personnel Eliot Wolf, who is the son of former long-time NFL personnel man Ron Wolf. Aside from Highsmith and Wolf, the team has shown interest in Omar Khan of Pittsburgh and former Kansas City and New England personnel man Scott Pioli.

Just what we need is a Green Bay exec to tank the defense.

I'm not sure about Wolf. His dad did a good job back in the day, but that was his dad.

The team is also expected to interview Green Bay senior personnel executive Alonzo High-smith for the post. The team also has interest in Green Bay director of pro personnel Eliot Wolf, who is the son of former long-time NFL personnel man Ron Wolf. Aside from Highsmith and Wolf, the team has shown interest in Omar Khan of Pittsburgh and former Kansas City and New England personnel man Scott Pioli.

Just what we need is a Green Bay exec to tank the defense.

I'm not sure about Wolf. His dad did a good job back in the day, but that was his dad.

What is interesting about Green Bay's defense is they have some pretty good pieces.

Now I'm beginning to question how Ross became a billionaire. When you have an objective you develop a plan and put the best people in position to execute it. When you surround yourself with competing power grabs your business usually tanks.

He can't be this dumb to not realize that the rest of football world is commenting on this. Or perhaps he's just stubborn and won't change his methods. Reflection - owner - coach - assistants...hmm.

Now I'm beginning to question how Ross became a billionaire. When you have an objective you develop a plan and put the best people in position to execute it. When you surround yourself with competing power grabs your business usually tanks.

He can't be this dumb to not realize that the rest of football world is commenting on this. Or perhaps he's just stubborn and won't change his methods. Reflection - owner - coach - assistants...hmm.

Now I'm beginning to question how Ross became a billionaire. When you have an objective you develop a plan and put the best people in position to execute it. When you surround yourself with competing power grabs your business usually tanks.

He can't be this dumb to not realize that the rest of football world is commenting on this. Or perhaps he's just stubborn and won't change his methods. Reflection - owner - coach - assistants...hmm.

Or he has been charmed by an ambitious, conniving succubus.

Again, if he can be persuaded so easily in this situation how did he get to his status as a self made, highly successful businessman? Wouldn't someone have robbed him blind?

A guy like Jerry Jones simply forget the proper approach and fancied himself something he was not, a proper talent evaluator. The best owners in the NFL hire the best minds to run their operations and stay out of the way. Ross is already committing two fouls: 1. Not listening to the football mind (Ireland) and hiring his own guy 2. Seeming to rely on business minds and not football minds to improve the team. And if Philbin is his football minded guy...wow, I need a drink and its only 10 AM.

Rich, the Eagles have done well in the draft market why wouldn't Gamble be a good choice? It appears you're not going to like any decision made that has to bridge the gap between Aponte and Philbin but isn't that anyone they hire?

Rich, the Eagles have done well in the draft market why wouldn't Gamble be a good choice? It appears you're not going to like any decision made that has to bridge the gap between Aponte and Philbin but isn't that anyone they hire?

i don't think we will know till they start to interview.. The right GM steps in and insist on his own coach and we still may end up with a new coach...

i think Ross is looking for that person that can and will semi run the team for him and make him look good.. just like all CEO types do...

firing his GM was a huge step IMO i think it was the 1 guy that Ross trusted about all others.. except maybe the skirt..

I just don't see him giving her the job TBO.. he is trying so hard not be become the next circus act.. not sure that's working for him....

without the Bully BS this year... this whole season would have been another story..

Ross loves attention.. but only positive attention... something that he only got last off season when his GM when on a spending spree.... and the first 3 weeks of the season... after that... right back to how many clowns can we fit in the little car......

i'm not sold on the Eagles guy myself.. he just has not been at it long enough IMO ... truth is we need to define the job... is this going to be a GM has full power spot.. or the GM and coach share power?... where does the VP come in... so on.. till we know all that .. it's hard to pick the right people to do the job...

hodge podging this together is what got us where we are in the first place... IMO

I think I am going to drink heavy this LONG LONG off season...

1 more thought.. with all the talking about all the GB people i'm thinking our coach has more pull then we think.. bring in someone that will not threaten his job... kind of thing

Rich, the Eagles have done well in the draft market why wouldn't Gamble be a good choice? It appears you're not going to like any decision made that has to bridge the gap between Aponte and Philbin but isn't that anyone they hire?

Care to read my post again? You obviously missed the point.

Quote:

I'm telling you, this franchise removes one cancer only to replace it with another.

One other post questioning whether Gamble is actually smart. A final one praising the Packers. Did I miss something?

Rich, the Eagles have done well in the draft market why wouldn't Gamble be a good choice? It appears you're not going to like any decision made that has to bridge the gap between Aponte and Philbin but isn't that anyone they hire?

Care to read my post again? You obviously missed the point.

Quote:

I'm telling you, this franchise removes one cancer only to replace it with another.

One other post questioning whether Gamble is actually smart. A final one praising the Packers. Did I miss something?

Post is about Gamble. Dave says its a given that Gamble will report to Aponte just like Dave said in his post. You followed with a non-addressed comment of disgust. If you were an IP packet, you'd be lost in cyberspace.

Now I'm beginning to question how Ross became a billionaire. When you have an objective you develop a plan and put the best people in position to execute it. When you surround yourself with competing power grabs your business usually tanks.

He can't be this dumb to not realize that the rest of football world is commenting on this. Or perhaps he's just stubborn and won't change his methods. Reflection - owner - coach - assistants...hmm.

Or he has been charmed by an ambitious, conniving succubus.

Or perhaps he, when he bough the team, inherited an absolute mess of the highest order and is trying to figure a way to navigate in a business in which he is new. Just kicking something around that has a basis in fact and not speculation.

_________________A good RB is nice, a good QB even better, but it's best to be able to stop someone first.

I'm telling you, this franchise removes one cancer only to replace it with another.

Hilarious. They seem to do the same thing on the field as well. Upgrade the secondary to a respectable position for the first time in several years, and the run game takes a severe downgrade at the same time. Miami always seems to fix a glaring problem while opening up another. When we fix one of our weaknesses, our former strength goes down the crapper. You can never have both.

2 years after 1-15, with a team that had a czar with a built-in parachute to get away from the team in the event a new owner took over (which he exercised 1 year later), a coach who was clearly in over his head (2 years after being fired as a HC he's an OL coach for the Raiders), and a GM who fooled lots of people in to thinking he was capable.

The organization was a mess, and in many ways still is. I'm not yet convinced that Ross is a competent owner, but judging him off of the first few years in running a complex and cut throat business where qualified candidates to run a team are few and far between, after taking over a team in shambles is nonsense.

_________________A good RB is nice, a good QB even better, but it's best to be able to stop someone first.

but judging him off of the first few years in running a complex and cut throat business where qualified candidates to run a team are few and far between, after taking over a team in shambles is nonsense.

Now I'm beginning to question how Ross became a billionaire. When you have an objective you develop a plan and put the best people in position to execute it. When you surround yourself with competing power grabs your business usually tanks.

He can't be this dumb to not realize that the rest of football world is commenting on this. Or perhaps he's just stubborn and won't change his methods. Reflection - owner - coach - assistants...hmm.

Or he has been charmed by an ambitious, conniving succubus.

Or perhaps he, when he bough the team, inherited an absolute mess of the highest order and is trying to figure a way to navigate in a business in which he is new. Just kicking something around that has a basis in fact and not speculation.

Quote:

If you've been following my recounting of the dysfunction within the Dolphins late last season you understand why the relationship between general manager Jeff Ireland and coach Joe Philbin was broken. You understand why this team may struggle to hire the most gifted and serious general manager candidate available.

Now let me give you more history. Let me give you more background on the dysfunction to help you understand its genesis.

I already shared what caused the rift between Ireland and Philbin. I blame both parties for that rift. Grown men, professional men, who have the same goal at heart should be able to sit down and have frank discussions about what troubles them about their relationship. Obviously that's in a perfect world.

The Dolphins facility is far from that world.

And part of the problem points directly to executive vice president of football administration Dawn Aponte. It seems that when Bill Parcells hired Aponte to be Miami's capologist in Feb. 2010 he brought in a tough and experienced corporate in-fighter. She is clearly adept at forming alliances. And when she sees a threat, she is well capable of attacking it.

Ireland was a threat to her, according to sources who called me this morning.

Ireland was her boss when she joined the team four years ago. But after Parcells left in October 2010, she lost her chief sponsor. And she wasn't comfortable with Ireland as her supervisor. So soon after Joe Philbin was hired, Aponte decided she and the new coach could bond and that alliance could strengthen each person's position within the organization.

Aponte, club sources say, also found ways to ingratiate herself to owner Stephen Ross. Nothing wrong with that. He's the boss. She would often ask to join Ross on his private jet flights back to New York from home games, often citing a need to handle club business at the league office in New York.

Aponte, a former league and New York Jets employee, apparently used the face time with Ross and the help of Jay Cross, a Related Company president and a former New York Jets president, to convince the owner of her value and how she should not be under Ireland's supervision.

Ireland, seeing this, asked Ross to fire Aponte after the 2011 season. Ross didn't go for it and, indeed, after mulling the matter, actually promoted Aponte from Senior VP of Football Operations to her current Executive VP role. And in so doing, Ross doubled Aponte's salary. And got her out from Ireland's umbrella. And Aponte joined parts of the coach search of 2012 that led to Philbin's hiring after Jeff Fisher turned the Dolphins down cold.

Knowing that Ireland had tried to get her fired, Aponte turned her sights on the GM. The relationship between the two, professional and even cordial in public at league meetings and alike, was a struggle for power behind the scenes.

Aponte, strengthened by her alliance with Philbin, had been winning that struggle for quite some time. She made herself very visible, attending practically every practice. She advised Philbin on how to handle the media before every weekday press conference -- that meeting sometimes taking longer than the actual press conference. She attended the coach's show and made sure the questions were positive and gave Philbin an opportunity to shine. She edited the videos the team posted on its website of the Philbin postgame speech to the players.

(Unfortunately for Philbin, she didn't think to cut out the part where coach needed to read off index cards to deliver his address).

The bottom line is now Philbin and Aponte -- fresh off a victory over the last general manager -- want to make sure the next general manager is not truly empowered. The last thing they want is for Ross to hire a guy who will have the power to hire and fire Philbin and or Aponte.

They want a puppet person that will merely evaluate talent and handle the draft and keep his mouth and business to himself.

But as I've shared already the best candidates for a general manager job may not bite because 1. They don't want to get involved in the Dolphins office politics and/or 2. He wants to have the power and autonomy to bring their own people and perhaps get rid of the current people if that's what he thinks best.

So keep a close eye on what is about to happen next with this hire. If Ross hires a strong GM with authority to hire and fire Philbin and/or Aponte, then the duo has lost favor. But if Ross promotes Aponte to GM or hires someone who is merely a personnel guy but not the general manager in power as well as title then the Aponte-Philbin axis has won and runs the show.

There is a third option and that's the czar approach the Dolphins have used before, as well, with that person over everyone. But that's for another day.